Australian referee Angus Gardner will officiate the pivotal Six Nations match between Scotland and France on the penultimate weekend of the tournament. The 39-year-old, who has established himself as one of the world's leading officials, took charge of the World Cup semi-final between New Zealand and Argentina in 2023, his first knockout appointment at that level.
Gardner began his refereeing career at the age of 15 in his native Sydney. He made his Super Rugby debut in 2012, overseeing a match between the Melbourne Rebels and Queensland Reds. His international debut came even earlier, in November 2011, when he officiated an Oceania Cup fixture between Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu in Port Moresby.
After making his Tier One debut five years later, Gardner progressed to officiate at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. He had previously served as an assistant referee at the 2015 tournament in England. Gardner's appointment for the Scotland-France clash underscores his standing as a top-tier official.
